Could Tiger Woods be sidelined indefinitely before making good on his latest attempt to recapture his once dominant form on the PGA Tour?
That's the question on the mind of many golf fans after Woods pulled out of the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Sunday afternoon. His leg gave out on the 11th hole at Doral and Woods had to leave the course with seven holes remaining for him in the final round. He changed shoes after the ninth hole and began visibly limping after his second shot on the 10th hole.
Tiger was 3-over-par in the final round and remained 10 shots out of the lead going into the 12th hole. He crushed the tee shot for 321 yards and immediately left in a golf cart when the pain in his left leg became too much to handle. It was the third time in three years he has withdrawn from a tournament.
This represents a disconcerting turn of events for Woods. He has undergone four different surgeries to repair the damage in his left leg. A left knee injury forced him to miss four months on the PGA Tour in 2011. Woods ended up being unable to compete in either the British Open or the U.S. Open while he rehabilitated an injured left knee and a strained Achilles tendon.
Perhaps Woods simply pulled out of the final seven holes as a precautionary measure to make sure he is at 100 percent for the Masters in April. Given his history with that left leg, however, it is safe to assume this could be evidence of a setback for Woods. The timing could not be worse.
Woods seemed like he was starting to regain his competitive form after he tied for second place at the Honda Classic. Chances that he will recover and be at the top of his game in time for the Masters look doubtful now. At age 36, Woods is dealing with accumulation of wear and tear on his body. Still, the PGA Tour needs Woods to be healthy and out competing on the golf course.
Even though he is no longer the dominant player he once was, Woods is still the biggest draw on the Tour and is the face of the sport. TV ratings sink when he is not around and interest from casual fans wanes. A healthy and competitive Woods is a healthy thing for the game of golf.
John Coon enjoys getting in a round from time to time in the Salt Lake City area when he is not covering golf as a freelance sports reporter.
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